---
title: 'Supabase'
metaTitle: 'Supabase'
metaDescription: 'Guide to Supabase'
tocDepth: 2
toc: true
---

This guide discusses the concepts behind using Prisma ORM and Supabase, explains the commonalities and differences between Supabase and other database providers, and leads you through the process for configuring your application to integrate with Supabase.

## What is Supabase?

[Supabase](https://supabase.com/) is a PostgreSQL hosting service and open source Firebase alternative providing all the backend features you need to build a product. Unlike Firebase, Supabase is backed by PostgreSQL which can be accessed directly using Prisma ORM.

To learn more about Supabase, you can check out their architecture [here](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/getting-started/architecture) and features [here](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/getting-started/features)

## Commonalities with other database providers

Many aspects of using Prisma ORM with Supabase are just like using Prisma ORM with any other relational database. You can still:

- Model your database with the [Prisma Schema Language](/orm/prisma-schema)
- Use Prisma ORM's existing [`postgresql` database connector](/orm/overview/databases/postgresql) in your schema, along with the [connection string Supabase provides you](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/connecting-to-postgres#connecting-to-external-libraries-and-tools)
- Use [Introspection](/orm/prisma-schema/introspection) for existing projects if you already have a database schema in Supabase
- Use [`db push`](/orm/prisma-migrate/workflows/prototyping-your-schema) to push changes in your schema to Supabase
- Use [Prisma Client](/orm/prisma-client) in your application to talk to the database server at Supabase

## Specific considerations

If you'd like to use the [connection pooling feature](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/connecting-to-postgres#connection-pooling-in-depth) available with Supabase, you will need to use the connection pooling connection string available via your [Supabase database settings](https://supabase.com/dashboard/project/_/settings/database) with `?pgbouncer=true` appended to the end of the environment variable that Prisma Client reads when you instantiate it with a driver adapter:

```env file=.env
# Connect to Supabase via connection pooling with Supavisor.
DATABASE_URL="postgres://postgres.[your-supabase-project]:[password]@aws-0-[aws-region].pooler.supabase.com:6543/postgres?pgbouncer=true"
```

Supabase provides three types of connection strings for each database:

1. **Direct Database Connection string** – `postgresql://postgres:password@db.[your-project-ref].supabase.co:5432/postgres`

2. **Transaction Pooler Connection string** – `postgresql://postgres.[your-project-ref]:password@aws-0-[region].pooler.supabase.com:6543/postgres`

3. **Session Pooler Connection string** – `postgresql://postgres.[your-project-ref]:password@aws-0-[region].pooler.supabase.com:5432/postgres`

Prisma CLI commands (for example, migrations and introspection) now read the direct, non-pooled connection string from `prisma.config.ts`. Configure two environment variables — the pooled connection string for Prisma Client (`DATABASE_URL`) and a direct connection string for the Prisma CLI (`DIRECT_URL`):

```env file=.env highlight=5-7;add showLineNumbers
# Connect to Supabase via connection pooling with Supavisor.
DATABASE_URL="postgres://postgres.[your-supabase-project]:[password]@aws-0-[aws-region].pooler.supabase.com:6543/postgres?pgbouncer=true"

# Direct connection to the database used by the Prisma CLI.
DIRECT_URL="postgres://postgres.[your-supabase-project]:[password]@aws-0-[aws-region].pooler.supabase.com:5432/postgres"
# or
DIRECT_URL="postgresql://postgres:password@db.[your-project-ref].supabase.co:5432/postgres"
```

Point `prisma.config.ts` to the direct connection string:

```ts file=prisma.config.ts showLineNumbers
import 'dotenv/config'
import { defineConfig, env } from 'prisma/config'

export default defineConfig({
  schema: 'prisma/schema.prisma',
  datasource: {
    url: env('DIRECT_URL'),
  },
})
```

At runtime, instantiate Prisma Client with a driver adapter using the pooled `DATABASE_URL`. This keeps the direct connection string scoped to Prisma CLI workflows while your application connections continue to flow through Supavisor.

```ts file=src/db/client.ts showLineNumbers
import { PrismaClient } from '../prisma/generated/client'
import { PrismaPg } from '@prisma/adapter-pg'

const adapter = new PrismaPg({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL })
export const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })
```

:::info

We strongly recommend using connection pooling with Supavisor in addition to `DIRECT_URL`. You will gain the great developer experience of the Prisma CLI while also allowing for connections to be pooled regardless of your deployment strategy. While this is not strictly necessary for every app, serverless solutions will inevitably require connection pooling.

:::

## Getting started with Supabase

If you're interested in learning more, Supabase has a great guide for connecting a database provided by Supabase to your Prisma project available [here](https://supabase.com/partners/integrations/prisma).

If you're running into issues integrating with Supabase, check out these [specific troubleshooting tips](https://supabase.com/partners/integrations/prisma) or [Prisma's GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/prisma/prisma/discussions) for more help.
